Atiku Abubakar Condemns State of Emergency in Rivers, Accuses Tinubu of Political Manipulation

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as an act of “political manipulation and outright bad faith.”

In a statement released on Tuesday, Atiku accused Tinubu of being a “vested partisan actor” in the crisis that has engulfed Rivers, arguing that the President’s refusal to intervene earlier had directly contributed to the current turmoil.

“Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers. His blatant refusal — or calculated negligence — in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful,” Atiku stated.

Security Crisis and Federal Responsibility

The former Vice President also held Tinubu accountable for security breaches in the state, including the destruction of national infrastructure.

“Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the condemnable destruction of national infrastructure in the state land squarely on the President’s desk. Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has either enabled or failed to prevent,” he asserted.

Atiku lamented the return of instability to the Niger Delta under Tinubu’s leadership, warning that the region had been thrown back into an era of violence and unrest.

“It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability — undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations,” he said.

Condemnation of Political Interference

Atiku further condemned what he described as an attack on democracy, arguing that the federal government’s actions were aimed at punishing Rivers people for political gain.

“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the President bears full responsibility. Punishing the people of Rivers State just to serve the political gamesmanship between the governor and Tinubu’s enablers in the federal government is nothing less than an assault on democracy and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” he declared.

With tensions escalating over the political and security situation in Rivers, Atiku’s statement adds to the growing chorus of opposition against the Tinubu administration’s handling of the crisis.